Tray package and method of making it



July 12, 1960 W. D. LYNCH Filed Oct. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 57 3/ 50 29 29 f i L. f? f 2T3 24 521/7 32 l E25 3, 2 52 I 29 34 l6 i 30A :3] 2 l 1! i L 20 27/ 3,

' -21 34 30 515/ 32 I I I 29 33 3E; 15 4 a; 6 29 Z329 IN V EN TOR. h/a [ton D. Lynch ATTORNEY July,12, 1960 v w; D; LYNCH ,9 TRAY PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAK NG IT Filed Oct. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvron.

Walton D. Lynch I f ATTORNEY United. States; Patentib This inventionrelatesto improvements inthe art of packaging and is more particularlydirected to the packag- "ing of a tray,-such as-analuminum foil tray containing frozen food, in a foldingbox. I v 7 'In the'packaging of frozen foods, -as'wellascertain other classes of merchandise, 1enclosing-boxes are preferred which provide 'a positive lock after closing, in-

the sense thatreopening of thebox without'structural damage .-to the boxis diflicult; A; positive seal maybe formed-by means ofadhesive, but the'use of; adhesive is awkward in that it complicates the closing machineryand is moreover; attended by additionaldifiiculties;- if--thebox is made of paraifined board. j I

' 3 In the practice of the-present invention mechanieal tab locks are used, so that the use of adhesive may 'be -dispensed withentirely.

--Tab--lockscomprisinga substantially -T- shapedtab which-is inserted into a -sl it-in-'a wallpanel are well known in --a variety of forms. "The use {of such tab locks involyes -certain diffieulties l arising from the "--necessityof ,insertingthe tab into; the locking QllUOIf sl it with a-.substantial forceunder which the;pane1- containing the lock- -jng cut frequently' yields; resulting either"insinfolding of the 1- panel containing the cutl-orain -an -;ineomplete leek id' s'rto t ria a h ra th iend: 2 c n m on: h

head of the T-'tab has not yet engaged the panel'contain ing the cut, thedesired engagement being generally of the ds std-paneiengagemenewtne idg a ein a'cut edge oi-;,t he-,' |:-tab,- andathgfipanelfnbeing the one sm in sthe'eurorslit.

L aforesaid ilifiiculties; --but-mechanical' closing rnacliir'ies, which arerequired where largevolumes of boxes are to be handled, perform a closing motion of a-certain stroke which is not sufiicient to produce a secure lock where the panel containing the cut yields, or where. the locking tab is obstructed by the box contents with the result that the tab either buckles or curls.

The present invention provides a package as well as a method of forming the package which overcomes the aforementioned difiiculties. p

The objects, features and advantages of this invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing, for the purpose of illustration, a representative embodiment of the invention. The invention also resides in certain new and original features of construction and combination of elements, as well as steps and sequences of steps hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of this invention 65 which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages and the manner in which itmay be carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

. Fig; 1' is a plan view of a -represe'ntative'form: ofbox blank which mayibe used in practicing the invention;

-'Figs. 2 to 7 illustrate perspectively a sequence of operations involved in the packaging" of a tray in a box 5 set up from the blankof Fig. 1; and

Fig. Si's-a'section'alview of the resulting locked tray package.

In the following descriptionand in the claims various details will be=identified by specific names for convenience. 10 Theqnames,however, are intended to be generic in their application. -Corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures i of the drawings.

The'drawingsaccompanying, and forming part of, this specification-disclose certain specific details of the invention for the purpose of-explanation ofits-broader' aspects, but it is understood that the invention may be modified in various respects'without departure from the principles -of* the invention and that the invention maybe applied to other forms of'boxes than the one shown.

The blankA-shown in Fig-1 is cut from suitable -foldable sheet'material, such as-paperboard, and comz-pr ise's a first -main,-=or' bottom,-*panel- 11 to which inner 'wa'llpanels"12,13,"14; and wall panel 15- are articulated -along bottom fold lines 16,17, 18 and 19.

-A second main, -0r-top, panel 20 is articulated to the wall panel-r 15 al ong-a top foldline 21, and outer wall ripanel zl, 23 and24 arearticulated-to the toppanel along top fold lines 2 5,26and27. g

The outer-wall p anels--2 2,-23' and carry substantially 'T-shaped lock tabs- 2 8 articulated to the respective panel along tab f old-lines 29. 7 Each lock tab has a reduced -n e ck. p'ortion acrosswhich the fold'line z9 extends,

' and wingportion-SIextending beyond the ends of the Q tra iP rt m-3t 1, Y

' I The Iinnerpanels 12, -13 andf 14 are provided 'with internal, locking outs; 32, each locking-cut including .a i I nt-ral'cut grortion; Q3- even-directed with-=the' respective lbottom fold,line'. The cut; portion '33 may be in line $0 with respective -bd tton 1 -fold -line or parallel thereto a and somewhat spaced therefrom. The lengthof the central ncut portion 3g is somewhat. greatfr- 'than-the width of the ;necl{' port ion .30 '"or the length of' the tab fold -line 29, but shorter thanfthe widthof the lock tabs 28 as measured 4 .f rorniwing end 31 to wing-end, End portions 34 of the cuts'BZ are curved away fromthe respective bottom fold iline and extend front the central portion 33 -of the'cut into" the body of the respective wall panel, thus forming downwardly extending internal tongues 35 in the inner wall panels. 7

7 The forming of the box and the packaging of a tray or similarly shaped article may proceed as shown in Figs. 2 to 7 as follows.

The tray T, shown empty in Figs. 3 and 4 for the sake of clarity, is placed with its bottom panel 36 on the bottom panel 11 of the blank A. The bottom surface 36 of the tray occupies less space than the bottom panel 11 of the blank. The side walls 37 of the tray extend upwardly and flare outwardly and terminate at a rim 38 of approximately the same dimensions as the bottom panel 11 of the box. I r

The inner walls 12, 13 and 14 are folded upright with respect to the bottom panel 11, as shown in Fig. 4, and bear in this position against the rim ,38 of the tray further inward movement. A substantially triangular space 39 remains between each inner wall panel, the

tray wall 37 and the bottom panel. This space remains free and unobstructed for the subsequent insertion of the lock tabs 28. a

- The top panel 20 is thenfolded over the tray, the outer wall panels 22, 23 and 2 4 are folded down and the look l?atented--July12, 1960 which subsequently supports the inner wall panels against 3 tabs 28 are inserted into the respective locking cuts 32. During the locking operation the inner side walls are firmly supported by the tray rim and do not yield, so that at the end of the locking operation, generally performed by a machine (not shown),'the wing'portion 31 of the lock tabs snap securely behind the inner wall panels into the space between the end portions 34 of the cuts and the respective bottom fold line. 7

The resulting lock is a secure one, and it is almost im- 1 possible to reopen the package without visual damage to the box.

Obviously the box may assume different forms and the tray may be inserted from the side, instead of the top, between the two main panels, whereafter the inner wall panels are folded against the tray rim and the locking procedure is carried out substantially as described.

What is claimed is:

l. A merchandise package comprising, a tray having a bottom and outwardly flared sides terminating at a rim extending, in plan view, beyond the boundaries of the tray bottom; and an enclosing box paperboard, said box comprising, a box bottom panel substantially equal in size to said rim, a rear panel articulated to said bottom panel, a cover panel articulated to said rear panel, and inner and outer wall panels articulated to said bottom panel and said top panel, respectively, said inner panels lying substantially in edge-to-surface abutment with said rim for support against infolding and having elongated apertures at the bot-tom, said apertures being formed by a cut in the shape of a shallow U having a central portion substantially coinciding with the line along which the respective panel is articulated to the bottom panel, and slanted end portions extending at an angle to the central portion; and substantially T-shaped lock tabs articulated to the said outer wall panels, said tabs extending through tween the :tray sides, the box bottom and the inner panels.

2. A merchandise package comprising a tray having a.

bottom and outwardly flared sides terminating at a rim extending, in plan view, beyond the boundaries of the tray bottom; and an enclosing box of paperboard, said box comprising, two opposite main panels constituting the box bottom and the box top, respectively, said main panels being substantially equal in size to the tray measured at its rim; opposite inner and outer wall panels articulated to said bottom and said top, respectively, said inner panels lying substantially in edge-to-surface abutment with said rim for support against infolding, said inner panels having internal cuts in them, at least certain of said cuts including a central portion even-directed with the line along which the respective inner wall panel is articulated to said bottom, and upwardly curved end portions extending from said central portion into the body of the respective inner wall panel, said cuts forming downwardly extending internal tongues in said inner wall panels; and lock tabs articulated to the said other wall panels, said lock tabs extending into the box through said cuts into the substantially triangular space between the respective outwardly flared tray side, the box bottom panel and the inner wall panels, said look tabs comprising a central neck portion along which the tab is articulated to the respective outer wall panel, and wing portions extending beyond the ends of the central portion of the cuts in the inner wall panels and engaging the inner panels in edge-to-surface engagement, said interal tongues engaging said neck portion in an edge-to-surface engagement and urging said tabs against the bottom panel.

3. The method of packaging a tray having a bottom and upwardly and outwardly flared sides terminating at a rim in an enclosing folding box, the box blank comprising, two opposite main panels constituting the box bottom and the box top, respectively, said main panels being substantially equal in size to the tray measured at said rim; opposite inner and outer wall panels articulated to said bottom and said top, respectively, said inner panels having internal cuts in them, at least centain of said cuts having a central portion even-directed with the line along which the respective inner panel is articulated to said bottom, and upwardly curved end portions extending from said central portion into the body of the respective inner wall panel, said cuts forming downwardly extending internal tongues in said inner wall panels, and

substantially T-shaped loc'k tabs articulated to the said,

outer panels, the method comprising, placing the tray bottom on said box bottom, folding said inner wall panels upright with respect to said bottom panel substantially into edge-to-surface abutting position with said rim constituting an inward stop for said inner wall panels,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,323,170 Dodge Nov. 25, 1919 2,190,433 Palmer Feb. 13, 1940 2,645,337 Stenger July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION July 12, 196

' Patent No. 2 94 l 7l7 Walton D. Lynch It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2 line 7.2 for "look" read lock column 3 line 2-1 before '"paperboard" lnsert 0f line 24 for "cover" read top Signed and sealed this 11th day of April, 1961a (SEAL) Attest: Y

E'RISEIT RWIDER ARTHUR W. CROCKER Attesting Oificer A i Commissioner of Patents 

